Hi Ho Hi Ho It's Off to War We Go
by Singer of Water
Summary: With America joining the war, Bucky has to face the horrors on the battle field, with no knowledge of what his best friend is doing back home. Tracey Madison is working with Howard Stark on Project Rebirth and has to help her twin brother, Barry, and their two friends, Steve and Bucky, make it through the fight against the new threat Hydra. Bucky/OC
1. Chapter 1

She sighed as she stood in the grocery store line. The grocery basket in her hand weighed down with the food she needed to buy for the next week. And use them sparingly none the less. She just wanted to get home. She just wanted to get home. She wanted to get back and catch the mailman before he left. Well she could still get her mail even if he wasn't there, but she just wanted to get back to see if the letter had come in today. She had been waiting for that letter for weeks now and she was getting more and more anxious with each passing day. Not to mention she was getting annoyed with Dave. She shook her head. She didn't know what to do with him. It just didn't feel like anything was the same since they started dating and no-

"Now I don't think a sour face like that belongs on a pretty face like yours."

The blonde woman turned her head and smiled brightly at the man next to her. "Hi, Bucky."

"Hey, Tracey," the man greeted in return. "So care to tell me what's bothering you?"

Tracey groaned and shook her head, her blonde curls bouncing from side to side. "Just a lot is on my mind. From work to Dave."

Bucky frowned and switched his own basket of food from one hand to the other. "You still haven't heard from the company you interviewed with?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "And no," she said, pointing a finger at the brunet man when he opened his mouth. "I'm not going to tell you the name of the company. I'll tell, you, Barry, and Steve after I hear from them."

"I still don't get why ya won't tell any of us," Bucky said, shaking his head as he rolled his eyes at the woman. "Not even your own brother?"

"Nope," she said, laughing when the man gave her a face. "You'll have to wait."

"Alright, alright," Bucky chuckled. "But what's going on with you and Dave?" he asked, his face setting in a frown again.

Tracey shook her head, sighing heavily. "I don't know… It just feels like things are really different from when we started dating. He just seems…" she said, snapping her fingers as she tried to think of a word.

"An asshole?" Bucky scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Tracey smacked his arm. "Be nice. No, he just seems different."

"Yeah? How so?" he asked as they moved up in the checkout line.

"He just seems different. A bit distant in a way controlling? I'm not sure. Something's just different and it's bothering me."

"Well like Steve, Barry, and I have been saying, we don't think he's good for you. You should have dropped him a long time ago."

The blonde haired woman rolled her eyes. "I can take care of myself."

"Yeah and Steve's able to win a fight that he always starts," the dark haired man said, scoffing lightly.

"Oh be quiet," she said, glaring up at him. "Yes, Dave is controlling, but…"

"But?" Bucky said, drawing the word out and smirking at her. His smirk grew into a grin when the blonde didn't say anything else, but glare. His face fell into a frown. "Trace… You can't keep being with that guy. He's an asshole who doesn't know how to treat you right."

Tracey sighed. "I know…" she breathed, running a hand through her hair. She groaned. "I was actually going to break up with him the next time I saw him…"

"Really?" Bucky said, his lips twitching upward. He quickly stowed it away and put on a solemn face for his friend. "Why?"

"I'm just not feeling it anymore with him. It's awful to say, and I'd hate to say it, but you guys were right. I don't need him and how he treats me. And don't you start saying 'I told you so'," she said, frowning up at him.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Bucky said. A smile turned his lips upward when the blonde turned around to pay for groceries. He wouldn't say it now, but he was happy that the asshole would be gone. Not just him, but Barry and Steve as well.

ooOOoo

"You really didn't have to take me to the movies," Tracey said, shaking her head as she and Bucky walked up the steps to her apartment complex.

"Hey, you were having a bad day. I had some extra money and extra time to spare," he replied with a shrug. "Plus you still hadn't seen that Snow White movie. I told you it was pretty good for a cartoon."

"You were right and I was wrong," Tracey giggled, smiling up at her friend. She pushed his arm when he gave her a cheeky grin along with a "Damn right". "But you know you didn't have to walk me home. It's still broad daylight out."

"Hey, I was heading over to Steve's apartment anyways. He's right next door to you so why not?"

She shook her head with a small laugh. "You two might as well be stuck together with glue. I rarely ever see you two without the other."

Bucky only laughed as he and the blonde woman reached the top of the steps. He waved a hand as he headed towards Steve's door and Tracey walked into her own apartment. The smile slowly grew to a grin when he walked into Steve's apartment.

Steve raised a brow as he looked up from his sketchbook. "You seem really happy," he said, as he set it down next to him on the couch as he watched Bucky place his groceries on the counter. "Let me guess, you got another date and she has a friend for me?" he said with a sigh.

"Nope," Bucky said, popping the P. "I was just with Tracey and turns out she's planning on breaking up with Dave."

"Really?" Steve said a smile growing on his face. "That's good to hear. And when do you plan on asking her out?" he said, his smile growing into a smirk.

"Ha ha," the dark haired man said, rolling his eyes. "I'm not going to ask her out right after she breaks up with her boyfriend."

"Uh huh," Steve said, a look that screamed "You're a complete liar and start fessing" on his face.

"Shut it, punk," Bucky said, rolling his eyes as he shoved his friend's shoulder, receiving a "jerk" from Steve. He plopped down in the arm chair next to the couch and slumped down in it. He shifted his eyes to glance at the sketchbook lying next to Steve as the blond haired man picked it up. "Whatcha drawing this time?"

"Just random things really," Steve said with a shrug. "I ju-" He stopped himself, turning to his head to the front door.

Bucky's brow furrowed in confusion as he too glanced over at the door. The sound of yelling came faint through the wood of the closed door. The two friends shared a look before they both slowly stood up. Steve was the first to reach the door and open it. Glancing outside he spotted a man standing outside Tracey's apartment. The door to the woman's place open. Bucky stuck his head out as well and glared when he saw the man outside.

"I can't believe you would do that!" Tracey yelled from the door way, glaring up at the man. "You went through my mail before I could even look at it!"

"Well when were you going to tell me you had an interview with Stark Industries?" the man said, matching the woman's glare.

"I was keeping it from everyone until I heard back from them! And it doesn't even matter if I told you or not!" the blonde woman shouted. "You have no right to go through my stuff, Dave!"

"Yeah I do," the dark haired man said. "I'm your boyfriend."

"Boyfriend or not, it's an invasion of privacy. Something you clearly don't comprehend," she shot back, rolling her eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me about Stark Industries?" Dave repeated.

Tracey groaned, pulling at her hair. "Are you kidding me? I just told you! I didn't want to tell anyone until I heard from them. Why does it even matter to you?"

"Because I'm your boyfriend. I'm going off to war soon and when I come back it'd be nice to have a job. My girlfriend should at least help me with that," he said, glaring at her. "You should be helping me out here. Get me an interview with them and what not."

The woman's eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open. She stared up at her boyfriend in astonishment. "Are you serious?" she said quietly. "Are you serious?" she yelled. "_You_ expect _me_ to get you an interview with Howard Stark so _you_ can try and get a job with his company? You're an idiot if you think it works like that! I worked hard to get my interview!"

Dave's face scrunched up in anger as his girlfriend yelled at him. In one swift movement that no one had time to react to, his hand made contact with the blonde woman's face. Tracey's head snapped to the right causing her to stumble back a bit from the sudden attack. Bucky and Steve didn't waste a second running over to the couple. Bucky grabbed a hold of Dave, yelling at him about the proper treatment of a woman. Steve went to Tracey's aid and helped her stand up straight again as she leaned against the doorframe.

Tracey held her cheek. The searing pain from the slap feeling like fire on her face as it slowly turned a bright pink. She looked at her friend next to her, giving him a reassuring smile as he stared at her in worry. She stood up and walked over to Dave and Bucky as the two struggled against each other.

Dave stopped struggling as he watched his girl walk up to him. A very small smirk gracing his features as he waited for Tracey to say something or apologize for arguing with him. But what he didn't expect was a fist connecting with his nose. He dropped to the floor, with the help from Bucky just letting him go, as he held his face.

"Get the hell out of here!" Tracey yelled.

"You bitch!" the dark haired man hissed as he held his nose. "You're gonna pay for that!"

"I suggest you get your ass out of here before you get more than just a broken nose," Steve stated, glaring at the man on the ground.

Dave glared at the shorter man before he turned his eyes to the woman in front of him. He stood up and tried to make a move at her only to be yanked back.

"I don't think so, pal," a newcomer said as he yanked the man back by his shoulder and shoved him down the stairs. He watched as Dave stumbled down, still holding his nose. They glared at each other before heading down the street. The new man turned to Tracey and walked up to her, grabbing her wrist gently in his hand. "You okay, Trace?"

"I'm fine, Barry," the female mumbled.

"Nice shot there," Barry chuckled, letting go of his twin sister's hand.

"I'll say," Bucky said, grinning at the blonde. "Didn't know you had it in ya, Trace."

"Thanks," Tracey laughed. "And thanks for helping me," she said, turning to Steve and Bucky. "You didn't have to."

"Hey, we're friends," Bucky said, ignoring the looks Barry and Steve exchanged. "It's what we're here for."

"So," Steve said after a moment as Tracey led them into her apartment. "Stark Industries?"

"That's where you were interviewed?" Barry asked, smiling brightly at his sister. "Did you get the job?"

Tracey smiled brightly as she handed the letter to her brother. "Yes! I start next week. I'm going to have to quit my job at the dinner and get my last pay check soon," she said, watching as the letter was passed around the three men.

"That's great, Trace!" Steve said, smiling at the woman. "You'll do great there."

"Just watch your back," Bucky said as he handed the letter back to Tracey.

The blonde woman raised a brow. "Watch my back? Care to explain?"

"It's just that," the dark haired man said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've heard things about Howard Stark and just the number of women he's been with."

Tracey scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I think I can handle myself. Plus I'm not there to get with Howard Stark. I'm there to work and help him with his projects."

"I know," Bucky said, holding his hands up in defense. "I'm just saying."

"Ignore him," Steve said, waving a hand dismissively towards his best friend, who glared at him. "You'll do great. Why else would they hire you?"

"Thanks, Steve," Tracey said, hugging him.

"Do I smell cookies?" Barry asked, sniffing the air as a smile spread across his face.

Tracey rolled her eyes and stood up, waving a hand. "Come on, boys," she said, laughing at the faces the three were giving her.

**Hey everyone! This is my new story with my characters Barry and Tracey Madison. Compared to my two previous stories that are set after Winter Soldier, this one will be set during First Avenger (obviously haha). This will also be my first story where I write characters into an already set plot. So I hope that this goes well. I've always tried to create characters and put them into a movie's plot, but never really get to it. I hope that you can bear with me and that this isn't complete garbage. **

**Let me know what you think. I'd love any critiques that can help me improve my writing and the course of the story. **

**Also feel free to ask the characters any questions on my tumblr: winter-is-ending**

**Thank you! And again I hope this isn't complete garbage. **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"So when do you start working at Stark Industries?" Steve asked as he and Tracey walked back from Art class. He shifted his sketchbook in his hand. "You've already quit your job at the diner right?"

"Yes," Tracey said, squinting as the sun shone in her eyes. "They already had my replacement ready. Her name is Angie. Unfortunately I only got to see her briefly. She's sweet. Wished me luck and all," she said as they reached a cross walk.

"That's nice of her," Steve nodded.

"I started work with Mr. Stark at the beginning of the week. I'm really excited too," the blonde woman said, a large smile on her face. "He had me start out on his new project with him. He said he needs all the help he could get. He doesn't seem tolerate of a lot of the other workers. I'm not sure how he's tolerated me. You, Barry, and Bucky have called me stubborn. I'm waiting for Mr. Stark to say something like that to me."

"He hasn't yet?" Steve laughed, shaking his head.

"No, he seems to enjoy the fact that I at least know a bit about machinery. I mean before the diner I worked at some old warehouse, but that only lasted a month."

"But you also learn pretty quickly," he pointed out.

Tracey blushed lightly and chuckled. "Thanks. I guess it does help. I was able to comprehend his project in a couple days. It helped especially since I was late in joining the crew."

"That's great!" the skinny man exclaimed. "I'm happy for you Trace. You deserve this. You've worked hard for it."

"Thank you," Tracey said, smiling lightly.

Steve paused and check the watch on his wrist. "I'm sorry, but I have to get going," he said, tucking his sketchbook under his arm. "I have somewhere I need to be."

"Oh okay. I'll see you later, Steve," she said, waving as her friend hustled down the opposite direction she was heading.

"Please tell me he told you where he was going," Bucky sighed as he ran up to Tracey. He ran a hand through his hair, groaning when she shook her head. "Damn it. That punk."

"Is he still trying to get into the army?" Tracey sighed.

"Yeah, the guy is relentless. I've been trying to get him to stop, but he just won't listen." He placed his hands on his hips, watching as his best friend turned a corner.

"You're not going after him?"

"Not worth my time. Well, it is because I don't want the punk to get caught or worse they let him join," he said, shaking his head. "But he's most likely going to be turn down." He turned to Tracey and smiled as she began to walk away, following beside her. "So how's your dad? Heard from him lately?"

"Last week Barry, Mom, and I got a letter from him saying that he's still training the new recruits. He says that he likes some and then there are the stuck up ones he wants to teach a lesson to," she said, giggling at the thought. "You know my dad. He's one of the nicest people you will meet, but if you tick him off he will go at you."

"Oh I know," Bucky laughed. "I remember when we first met. He was causin' a storm. Hearing that some asshole kid was harassing you drove him up the wall."

"And then there was you, Steve, and Barry. My knights in shining armor," she teased, grinning at him. "He was mostly mad that the school put me in trouble for punching the guy. He was pretty proud of his 'baby girl'," she said, air quoting the phrase.

"That's definitely your dad. I think he was also mad at the guy for punching Steve. And then he got mad at me for getting into a fight. What was hilarious was when your mom left and he gave me a pat on the back. You're dad is something else. Hell, he got mad at a few of the men in my training group. Good Lord, he's tough," he said, chuckling at the memory.

"I keep forgetting you are in the 107th as well," she said, tucking some hair behind her ear. She paused, chewing her cheek in thought. She turned her head and gave the man a soft look. "Have you gotten your orders?"

Bucky nodded, flashing her a smile. "Sergeant James Barnes to report in a few days."

Tracey nodded her head. "Does Steve know?"

"Not yet. I'm spending the day with my family. I'm gonna take Steve with me to the expo tomorrow and tell him sometime then. Either before, during, or after. I'll figure out a good time to tell him."

"Have you told him that you were drafted?"

The future soldier blinked, slightly stunned. "I don't know what you're talking about? I signed up. I've told you and Steve this."

The blonde woman sighed and gave her friend a sympathetic look. "Bucky, we both know you wouldn't have signed up if it meant leaving Steve here by himself. You're only saying you enlisted so he won't feel bad. We all know how much he wants to join."

Bucky sighed, running a hand through his hair as he stared at the ground. The weight of everything on his shoulders as he thought through what was to happen in the next few days. "Yeah… I don't want to leave the punk, but I have no choice. And if he heard that I was drafted he'd be upset knowing that he wasn't drafted and that I was. The guy is relentless. Even if I told him, he'd still try to enlist as much as he is now." He looked up at the sky, sighing.

Tracey stopped and looked at the dark haired man. She chewed her lip as she looked at his worn out face. His eyes and the rest of his features slowly losing the light they always held. This war was taking a toll on her friends. Even Barry didn't look the same as he usually did.

She placed a hand on Bucky's shoulder. "I'll keep an eye on Steve. Don't worry."

"Thanks, doll," Bucky said, smiling. He smiled a bit more at the sight of the light blush on her face, just as it always did whenever he gave her one of the nicknames he used on her.

"Just do me a favor," she said, smiling back at him. "Come back safe."

"Promise," he said, the smiling growing to a light one. "I actually have a question for you." He bit his lip as he heard the hum in response from the blonde, wringing his hands together. "Are you gonna be going to the science expo?"

"Actually, yes. Mr. Stark asked me to help with his demonstration there," Tracey said, a bright smile on her face.

The man's face fell for a second, only to light up at the sight of the blonde's smile. He nodded his head, scratching the back of his neck. "Right. Then I guess I'll be seeing you there…"

"That'd be nice. Are you going to be taking anyone besides Steve?" she said with a smirk. "I'm sure all the dames are just dying to get one last dance with Bucky Barnes before he leaves."

"Yeah," Bucky chuckled, grinning at the blonde. "A few hearts will be broken. I was actually hoping to take someone but I haven't been able to ask her. I think I'll just ask Connie Wright. I heard she has a friend that's looking for a date as well. Maybe I can set Steve up with her."

Tracey giggled. "Because he will love that," she said with a smirk. "Sorry about the first girl." She offered a sympathetic smile, receiving a small one from the man in return. "But hey, you said Connie was fun last time. I'm sure she'd love to go out on another date with you." She smiled and dug through her purse before extracting her keys. "I've got to get going. I have a later shift than usual today and Mr. Stark wants to go through his exhibit some more before tomorrow." She quickly hugged her friend. "Give my love to your family and have fun with the date tomorrow."

"Thanks," Bucky said, watching as the blonde hurried up the stairs to her apartment door. "I'll try…"

**I'm honestly surprised I got chapter two done. I really hope you guys like this. Next chapter will begin the movie plot. And sorry this chapter was shorter than the last. I was thinking of putting the expo in this one, but thought I'd save it for the next. **

**If you haven't already, be sure to check out my post Winter Soldier story Winter is Ending. **

**And if you'd like to ask the Avengers and anyone else in the tower any questions, feel free to leave a message on my tumblr. **

**I also have a oneshot series called Life at the Tower (along with an AU one) and I accept any and all prompts. So feel free to send me a message on tumblr, on here, or leave it in a review. **

**My tumblr is winter-is-ending**

**I hope you like the story so far and would love to read some reviews. Feel free to critique me on anything you see fit. I love getting advice on my writing that will help me improve. **

**Thank you and I hope you liked it! And thank you to those who reviewed, favorite, and followed!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Looking around, people walked by, heading home after a long day of work or heading off to meet up with friends. Maybe some going to dance halls. Glancing up at the sky, he could see the sun was setting which meant that the science expo will be starting soon. Bucky smiled at the thought. He had a date with Connie, but he was mostly excited about the thought that he might have found Steve a girl. Bonnie was nice. She seemed sweet. He thought it was ironic that Connie was friends with a girl with a name so similar to hers. But that didn't matter. What mattered was grabbing Steve and meeting the girls at the expo.

Speaking of Steve…

Bucky's hears picked up the sound of grunting and crashing. It sounded like something metal fell over. A trash can? Seeing as he was walking past an alley, it had to be a trash can. And if it was an alley he was going to find Steve in some fight.

Sure enough, there was the skinny blond haired man scrambling up to face the taller man in front of him. And another crash sounded through the alley as Steve went head first into the trash can.

Bucky's brow furrowed deeply and stormed over. "Hey!" he called out, grabbing the man's shoulder. "Pick on someone your own size," he said.

His eyes widened slightly when the man swung a fist at him. Bad move. Bucky pulled back his arm and slugged the man square in the face. He watched as he held his face and quickly spun him around. He ended the fight with a quick kick in the rear, sending the man stumbling away out of the alley.

He turned back to Steve, seeing as he was now fully up right after his fall. The dark haired man couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Sometimes I think you like getting punched." He watched as Steve caught his breath, cringing and hoping that his friend was about to have an asthma attack.

"I had him on the ropes," came the reply from the shorter man.

Bucky smirked, rolling his eyes as he looked at his friend's resume. "Oh so you're from the Paramus now? You know it's illegal to lie on your resume form," he said, handing it back to him. "And seriously, Jersey?" If it wasn't a serious matter as Steve trying to enlist in the army, Bucky would have made a joke about him betraying his home state.

Steve raised his eyes up to him, mouth open as he continued to breathe heavily. "You get your orders?"

Bucky held in the sad sigh that was going to escape his lips. He stared at his friend, seeing the look in the smaller man's eyes. The look of fear and determination. Bucky put on a small smile. "107th, Sergeant James Barnes shipping out to England tomorrow morning."

Steve stared down at his feet, breathing a heavy sigh. "I should be going."

His best friend stared at him, silent filling the space between them. A smile grew on his face. "Come on," he said, patting a hand on his shoulder, pulling him against him as he led him out onto the street. "It's my last night. I need you cleaned up," he said, taking the papers from Steve.

"Where are we going?" Steve asked as Bucky tossed the form into the trash can they passed before shoving a newspaper at him.

"The future," Bucky answered simply, a smile creeping its way onto his face.

"We're going to the expo?" Steve questioned as he followed beside Bucky down the street.

Bucky looked around and could see families and couples heading down the same direction down the street as he and Steve were. They would nod every now and then to familiar faces from their neighborhood. As they got closer and closer they could hear the sounds of thousands of people and lights turning on, lighting up the sky, as the sun got lower and lower in the sky. Some people were rushing to the area, excitement taking over. Bucky and Steve chuckled when they caught Barry heading down the stairs, being nearly dragged by a red headed woman.

Bucky looked down and saw the look on his friend's face and sighed. "I don't see what the problem is. You're about to be the most eligible man in New York. You know there are three and a half women in New York?"

"I'd rather settle for one," Steve mumbled.

"Good thing I took care of that," Bucky said, a smile growing on his face as he waved a hand in the air.

"Hey, Bucky!" Connie cried out as the two men headed towards them.

"What did you tell her about me?" Steve asked, fixing his hair.

"Only the good stuff," Bucky said, a big smile on his face.

"Are you ready, Sarge?" she giggled as she grabbed hold of his hand.

"If you ladies are," he said, smiling casually at them. "Bonnie, this is Steve," he said, gesturing to his friend beside him.

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Steve said, smiling at the blonde.

"You too," Bonnie replied quickly. She turned back to Connie and grabbed her shoulder. "Come on, let' get going."

"Let's go, Bucky!" Connie said gleefully as she pulled on his arm.

"Alright, alright," Bucky chuckled.

All around, new and complicated inventions were displayed about the expo. So many Stark Industries inventions gleamed under the spot lights above them. The two couples, well one couple and two people tagging along, Bucky smiled at Steve every now and then, making sure that he was at least having a good time. Although, the dark haired man was beginning to think that Bonnie wasn't the one for Steve. Especially since she was barely giving him the time of day, even with Steve's attempts to talk with her. He gave his friend a grin just as Connie began to bounce excitedly.

"Oh it's starting!" she nearly squealed, dragging Bucky towards the crowd of people who were surrounding a stage.

The stage was set up for Howard Stark's big exhibit for some new invention he had planned apparently. It was all over the newspapers for the last week and everyone wanted to see it. But Bucky and Steve were looking out for something else other than the invention. Bucky scanned the stage, a bright smile growing on his face when he caught sight of blonde hair. He looked down when he felt something nudge his arm. Steve was smirking up at him, nodding towards the blonde on the corner of the stage. The two friends grinned and waved lightly up at Tracey, who returned their greetings with a smile.

Music began to play and Tracey's face lit up. "Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Howard Stark!" she announced, stepping aside as Howard Stark running onto the stage where the women dressed in their show girl outfits presented him. He gave the blonde a quick nod and a smile before turning back to the crowd. After handing off his hat to one of the girls (and a quick kiss) Howard Stark stood next to a control pane off to the side of the car.

"Ladies and gentlemen. What if I told you that in just a few short years your automobile won't even have to touch the ground at all?" Howard Stark said as the women removed the tires from the car. "With Stark Gravitic Reversion Technology you'll be able to do just that," he said before he pushed a few buttons and moved a lever up.

Bucky watched, his mouth dropping as the car began to slowly rise off the floor. "Holy cow."

But just as the car was off the stage, sparks erupted from one of the tires. The car quickly crashed to the stage, causing the women around it and everyone in the audience to jump back. Bucky smiled widely and looked over to Steve. It looked like the invention wasn't up to par just yet.

"I did say a few years, didn't I?" Howard said, leaning against the control panel. He let out a chuckle as everyone clapped.

"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen!" Tracey spoke into the microphone. "Please enjoy the rest of the expo," she finished before she walked over to Howard. The two began to discuss something as the lights on the stage began to dim as they walked off.

"Hey, Steve," Bucky said, turning around. "What do you say we treat these girls…" He trailed off, the smile on his face falling when he didn't find Steve next to him. His face was set as he looked around the crowd in search of his friend. He sighed when he saw him heading towards the recruitment area. He turned to Connie and Bonnie and gave them a reassuring smile as they gave him quizzical looks. "I'll be right back. Hang tight girls."

He frowned as he marched over to where his best friend was. Leave it to Steve to find the enlisting area wherever they went. He got him a date for crying out loud. Granted, she didn't seem that interested in him. But who cares, Steve would find a girl one day. He knew he would. But he might as well attempt to enjoy a double date when he worked hard on trying to convince Bonnie to agree to go with Steve.

"Come on," Bucky said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder once he reached him. "You're kind of missing the point of a double date. We're taking the girls dancing."

"You go ahead. I'll catch up with you," Steve replied.

Bucky pursed his lips, staring at Steve. "You're really going to do this again?"

"Well, it's a fair. I'm gonna try my luck."

"As who Steve from Ohio? They'll catch you. Or worse, they'll actually take you," the taller friend said, his anger getting more and more worse.

"Look, I know you don't think I can do this," Steve began.

"This isn't a back alley, Steve," Bucky interrupted. "This is war."

"I know it's a war."

"Why are you so keen to fight? There are so many important jobs," Bucky offered, desperate to convince his best friend to quit.

"What do you want me to do?" Steve demanded. "Collect scrap metal in my little red wagon?"

"Yes! Why not?"

"I'm not gonna sit in a factory, Bucky."

"I don-"

'Bucky, come on," Steve interrupted this time. "There are men laying down their lives. I got no right to do any less than them. That's what you don't understand. This isn't about me."

"Right," Bucky said, shaking his head. "'Cause you got nothing to prove."

The two remained silent, staring at each other as people walked passed them. A couple seconds later Connie's voice broke out from behind them.

"Hey, Sarge! Are we going dancing?"

Bucky quickly turned around, addressing the two women down below the stairs. "Yes, we are," he announced, giving a small smile before turning back to Steve. He pursed his lips, trying to find something more to say to his friend. "Don't do anything stupid until I get back," he said, taking a step back and heading down the stairs.

"How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you," Steve retaliated.

Bucky stopped, a few feet away from Steve. He took a deep breath and strode over to his friend, enveloping him in a hug. "You're a punk."

"Jerk," Steve sighed. "Be careful," he said when Bucky stepped away. He paused, staring at his friend.. "Don't win the war till I get there!" he called out.

Bucky stared at his best friend (possibly the last time he wouldn't see him if Steve didn't get enlisted, which he prayed wouldn't happen) and stood up right, giving his friend a salute before hustling down the steps to the two awaiting women. "Come on, girls. They're playing our song."

ooOOoo

Bucky grinned as Connie giggled and smiled up at him. Even for his last night and he wasn't with his best friend (seeing as Steve had gone off doing his own thing) he was having a good time. It was nice getting a chance to just have fun and dance with someone. Although, his eyes would occasionally scan the area, sneaking a peak outside to where Howard Stark's exhibit had been. He was hoping to catch sight of the blonde woman. Give her his goodbyes before he left tomorrow. But so far he hadn't seen her. It wasn't until twenty minutes into dancing with Connie he caught sight of a pair. A man and woman. Barry and Tracey. The grin was back on his face. He quickly excused himself and made his way to the twins.

He stood to the side, watching as he saw Tracey quickly envelope Barry in a tight embrace. The look on her face would have broken any onlookers' hearts. Just as he was, Barry was leaving for England tomorrow morning as well. It had to be hard on Tracey, seeing her brother go. Bucky remembered the look on Rebecca's face last night when he put her to bed. God, he hated leaving his family, but he had to go. And he knew how Barry was feeling. Joining his dad on the field while they left Tracey and Mrs. Madison back home.

He smiled at Barry when he saw the young man give Tracey one more hug before leaving her. The two men smiled at each other, remaining silent for a moment.

"Ready for tomorrow?" Barry asked, breaking the silence.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Bucky sighed, taking his hat off and running a hand through his hair.

Barry nodded before turning around and staring at his sister as she stared down at her hands where she sat at a table. He turned back to his fellow soldier and patted his shoulder. "I just finished up a dance with Trace. Why don't you take her out onto the floor?"

"I don't…I uh," Bucky said, pursing his lips. He turned around to see that his date waved at him from where she and Bonnie were talking to a couple soldiers. The look on Connie's face said everything. "Go on."

Bucky nodded at her before turning to look at Tracey. His friend since the beginning of high school. The Madison twins had joined into Steve and his lives in a way that didn't feel forced and didn't break his and Steve's bond. It was nice getting to know the twins. And unfortunately, over the years, his feelings for Tracey seemed to have grown. Even if just a bit. She had gone from being a sister to him to one of the people he trusted aside from Steve. And seeing her with Dave for the past three years, watching as that man disrespected her and treated her like she was dirt infuriated him. And lucky him, the day Tracey decided to break up with Dave, just a couple weeks before he was to be shipped off to war.

Just his luck.

"Buck," Barry said, breaking his friend's train of thought. "Just go ask her. If you don't think I know how you feel about her, _especially_ with the way you're staring at her right now, then you must think I'm a clueless idiot." The male Madison twin sighed and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You're going to regret it if you don't," he said, before heading off to his date.

The dark haired soldier stared after him before turning his attention back to Tracey. He sighed and pulled his shoulders back. It was now or never.

"Care to dance?" he said, offering a hand out to her once he was next to her.

Tracey's head shot up and a smile grew on her face at the sight of her friend. "Hey, Sergeant," she greeted. She chuckled as she looked at his hand. "I take it I don't have an option?"

"Is there even an option when it's me?" Bucky grinned.

"Very true," she laughed, taking his hand.

Bucky led her to the dance floor and quickly pulled her to him just as a slow song began to play. As Time Goes By began to play throughout the dance hall. The soldier smiled down at the woman and began leading her through the steps.

"Have you not danced before?" he asked, chuckling at how she kept looking down at her feet.

"I have, just not recently," she said, blushing. "Dave was never one for going to dance halls."

"Ah, well, you're gonna have to learn soon. You'll get all the guys then," Bucky grinned.

"And you would know," the blonde said, smirking and rolling her eyes. She paused, chewing her cheek just as she always did when she was in thought. "You're leaving tomorrow, right? You and Barry?"

Bucky's smile fell, his face turning blank and void of any light. "Yeah…"

"Good luck out there," Tracey said, giving her friend a smile of encouragement. "You're strong. You two will come back."

"I'll make sure to come back. And I'll bring your brother with me," Bucky laughed lightly, keeping up the pace with the song.

"Promise?" Tracey said after a moment's hesitation.

"I promise you, Barry will come back. I will come back," Bucky replied, smiling lightly down at her.

He swore on his life he would make sure Barry would come back alive. He would do it for her, for Barry, for his two friends. And he would do everything in his power to make sure he'd come back as well. He wasn't going to leave his best friend, Steve, to fight off all the fights he would end up in. He wouldn't leave Barry to watch over Tracey by himself. And he would come back to make sure nothing happened to Tracey. He'd come back for his mom and his dad. He would definitely come back for Rebecca. He'd never leave his little sister behind. He would come back for all his friends and family.

The song slowly dimmed out, leaving all the dancers on the floor to end their dancing. Tracey smiled up at Bucky as they stopped. The dark haired man could only stare at her, nothing to say coming to mind.

"I have to get going. I need to meet up with Mr. Stark one last time," Tracey said after a few more seconds of silence. She quickly wrapped her arms around Bucky, hugging him tightly. "Goodbye, Bucky. I'll miss you."

Bucky didn't waste a second in returning the hug. He held her to him, wishing he could have just a few more minutes with her. "I'll miss you too, doll."

"You better win the war," she said, smiling a teary smile up at him.

He returned the smile and nodded his head. "I'll win just for you, Trace."

**Tada! Chapter 3! I hope you liked it. I had to go back multiple times to correct the dialogue. I was writing this during Literature today and then when I got back to my apartment I had to rewatch the expo scene to make sure I got the correct dialogue. **

**Either way I hope you liked it. **

**With this story I'm hoping to show a bit more of Bucky's side of what happens throughout First Avenger and a bit more of what goes on in the science side with Tracey and Howard. I REALLY hope you guys like this and I hope that I can do the story justice with these more in depth (I guess is the word) views.**

**For any of you who have read my other stories, I wanted to give you a heads up that this has nothing to do with Winter is Ending. This is a completely different story. It's not a prequel to Winter is Ending. It's just an AU for the Madison twins to see how I would write them into First Avenger. **

**For those of you who haven't read my previous stories I have a tumblr where you can ask the Avengers, Madison twins, and anyone else in the tower any questions. It can be post Winter Soldier questions or questions to follow up with this story. Whatever you guys want. **

**I also have a oneshot series (well two) called Life at the Tower and Life at the Tower AUs. If you'd like to submit a prompt, just send me a message on tumblr, PM me here, or leave it in a review.**

**My tumblr is winter-is-ending**

**Thank you so so so SO much to those of you who have followed, favorite, and reviewed. I was seriously nervous when I posted this story and all of your support has made my day and made me relax. Thank you so much!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

He woke with a start. Looking around he groaned. Of course. He was here. All around him were the sounds of the snoring voices that were coming from all the cots lined up next to his. He leaned back on his elbow, running a hand down his face. He kept forgetting where he was whenever he woke up. It was only a few days, but it was still a rough transition.

He sat up, resting his arms against his propped up knees. He stared down at his hands; staring down at the dull tan fabric of the "blanket" that he was given when he arrived at camp. God, he missed his bed! This damn cot was barely anything, but fabric and poles. That and the blanket barely kept him warm during the nights here.

What time was it anyways? he wondered as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Can't sleep either, Jimmy?"

Bucky rolled his eyes at the name that was called out. "The name's Bucky," he said through a yawn.

The new voice chuckled. "Right, right," it said. "But I think I'm gonna stick with Jimmy."

"Whatever, Dum Dum," the Brooklyn boy sighed, flopping back down on his bed.

"Dum Dum?" the man said. He barked out a laugh, but quickly shut his mouth. He looked around at the other sleeping soldiers and looked back at Bucky when he saw he didn't wake anyone. "Dum Dum? Where the hell did ya come up with that?"

"When I saw you had a whole bag of that candy with your belongings," Bucky said, smirking up at the ceiling. "If you're gonna call me Jimmy, I'm callin' ya Dum Dum. Hey!" He shot up, glaring at the man who was snickering at him. He looked down at his chest and rolled his eyes. A grape Dum Dum lollipop was laying, neatly wrapped up on his chest. "Thanks," he said with a small laugh, tossing the sugary treat into his bag on the side of his cot.

It was silent again, the snoring filling the room once more. Bucky continued to lay in his bed, arms underneath his head as he stared up at the ceiling. His mind was reeling with thoughts of home. He thought of his mom and dad, wondering how they were holding up with him off at the front. Especially his mom. He remembered how she held up a façade the day. But as soon as he took Rebecca upstairs to put her to bed, he could hear the sobs coming from the kitchen. And Rebecca. His beautiful, little sister. God, she must be missing him. Wishing he was there visiting home and playing with her. She was ten! She couldn't possibly fully understand what was going on out here. Then again, it was Rebecca he was talking about. She was brilliant. One of the brightest girls in her grade. Of course she'd know what he was facing out here. He just hoped she was holding up okay. He remembered the look on his dad's face before the night he visited them before he left. He remembered giving him a hug before he left to his apartment again. They didn't exchange a lot of words at that point. But that was his dad. He was a man of action and not much for words. That hug from him said everything.

Then there were his friends. Steve. Tracey. God! What was Steve doing right now? Getting into another fight? Getting his ass handed to him in an alley? Probably. If he knew Steve as well as he did (and boy did he know that punk like the back of his hand) he knew he would be in some sort of mess by now. God, he wished he was home right now. Steve would be dead by now without him. Face first in a pile of trash in an alley.

He shook his head. He needed to stop thinking like that. He trusted Steve. The guy was smart enough to know when the not fight. …to an extent.

And finally his mind wandered over to Tracey. He could only imagine what was going through her and her mom's head. What with Mr. Madison and Barry here at the camp, about to go off to the front. About to fight.

He looked over to the male Madison twin who was lying asleep in his own cot a few places down from him. He sighed, turning his head back up to the ceiling. He knew what Barry was thinking. He was worried about his sister and mom. Wondering how they were holding up without him and his dad. He had seen Mr. Madison, well Captain Madison here, around camp every so often. He had only seen him during training and every so often around the camp. The man was strong, but he could also guess his worries about his remaining family back in New York.

And Tracey. She was worrying about her brother. Her _twin _brother. She was at home while she waited with baited breath, waiting to hear if any news from Barry and her dad would come home. Waiting, hoping, praying that they'd come home safe and sound. Waiting for her family and friends to come home.

He remembered the bittersweet goodbyes he shared with her the night at the dance hall. The night before he left. He remembered the look on her face she gave him before she walked away. The look of worry and fear. The fear of losing her friend and family.

God, he was an idiot! He should have said something to her before he left!

"Better get some sleep, Jimmy," Dum Dum whispered. "I can hear you thinking from over here." He chuckled when he saw the younger man glare at him. "Night, Jimmy."

ooOOoo

File after file after file. That's all it had been today. All day Howard Stark had been holed up in his work on Project Rebirth. For hours he was hunched over the table, eyes focused on the chemicals and tools in front of him. That left to a somewhat quiet work area. Other workers were at their own stations, doing their part for the project. All the while Tracey was doing her part and having to read over Howard Stark's notes. And it did not help with maintaining a proper sleep schedule.

"Hey, Trace!" Howard Stark called out from his table. His gaze never left his work. He couldn't afford to lose concentration on this.

"Yes, Mr. Stark?" Tracey asked, walking up to the scientist.

"I need you to grab me the vial over there," he said, pointing a finger towards the shelf to his left. He still never looked up.

"Right away," she said. She hustled over to the shelf and gently grabbed the vial; carefully bringing it over to her boss.

"Thanks," Stark said. Carefully mixing the new solution Tracey brought him with the one he already had, he watched, waiting as the two reacted. A smile grew on his face. "I think we're getting close to completing this project," he said, looking up at the blonde woman.

Tracey smiled brightly. "That's fantastic! Oh!" she said, quickly extracting an piece of paper from the pile in her hands. "I forgot to mention. Dr. Erksine sent a letter. He said that he has the perfect man for the project. You'll be completing this project soon enough."

"Perfect!" Howard said, standing up and removing his gloves and goggles. "I'm thinking we take a break and grab lunch. What do you say, Trace? My treat."

"Oh um, sure, Mr. Stark," the assistant said. She chewed her cheek. Hopefully her stomach wouldn't growl at the moment. She didn't want to show how hungry she actually was.

Howard shook his head, waving his hand. "You can stop calling me Mr. Stark. Just call me Howard,' he said, grabbing his coat and leading the way out the door.

"Alright then," Tracey said, offering him a smile as he held the door open.

"So did Erksine mention who the guy was?" he asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Nothing really," she answered, chewing her cheek. "All he said was that he was the best candidate. 'He's a good man and has a good heart'," she said, reciting the words from the letter.

"Huh, interesting. Alright. This guy better be up for this," the millionaire said, nodding his head.

"I'm sure he is. I don't think he'd agree to join the program if he wasn't."

ooOOoo

Barry grinned when he saw the dazed look on Bucky's face as they grabbed their breakfast. The dark haired soldier was staring at his plate of food, eyes nearly glazed over. Barry noticed that they always seemed to do that whenever he was thinking about something for a long time. Many things could be on his friend's mind and there was one he was certain had to be on his mind. Well…two things, but he was going to see if his first guess was right.

"Let me guess," Barry asked, sliding into a seat next to the other soldier. "You're thinking of Tracey. And don't play dumb," he added quickly at the end.

"Sure, whatever you want to think," Bucky said coolly, trying to keep eye contact to a minimum from his friend. He grabbed a forkful of food and quickly stuffed his face. The somewhat hot meal warming up his tired body, bringing a contented sigh to him.

"Yep, definitely thinking about her," the Madison boy laughed.

"I'm thinking I want to eat without being interrogated," Barry said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh come on, just answer the question. Were you thinking about her?" he teased. He grinned and laughed when his friend remained silent.

"What are you laughing about Madison?" came a voice from to their right.

Barry and Bucky glared over to the man. Unfortunately for the two, Dave was a part of their platoon. It didn't make things easier when it felt like there was always bound to be some sort of fight between the three.

"Nothing that concerns you, Anderson," Barry spat, eyes glaring daggers up at the dark haired soldier.

"You talking about that sister of yours?" Dave said, completely ignoring him. "How's she doing by the way? I didn't get the chance to see her before I left," he said, a smirk forming on his face.

"Do you really think she'd want to see you again?" Bucky snapped. A visit from Dave was all he needed…

"Tracey would come crawling back to me in a heartbeat. She's done it two times already since I dated her. I can guarantee I'll be getting a letter from her any day now," he said, giving a challenging smirk.

"Really?" Barry said, giving a scoffing laugh. "'Cause I got a letter from her today," he said, patting his pants' pocket.

"Yeah, she'll definitely be sending you a letter," Bucky said, grinning.

Dave's face fell. "Whatever," he scoffed. "She ain't even worth it."

"Anderson!"

The three looked up at the sound of the voice. Immediately at the sight of the figure approaching them, the three stood at attention. A blonde haired man approached the three, eyeing down Dave.

"Captain," the three

"At ease," he said, calmly. He turned back to Dave. "Anderson, can I ask why you aren't at your post for kitchen duty?"

"I had kitchen duty the other day, sir," Dave said, his face scrunching up.

"Are you back talking me, kid?" the man asked, his eyes narrowing.

"No, sir," he replied quickly.

Barry exchanged glances with Bucky, the two smirking at each other. They quickly stopped when the Captain cleared his throat.

"What are we talking about over here?" he asked casually.

"A girl back home, sir," Dave answered. "Madison and Barnes here don't think she'll be waiting for me when I get home," he said with a laugh.

"Why do they say that?" the Captain questioned.

Dave waved a hand, rolling his eyes. "We had an argument. Nothing new. She'll come back to me just like she did last time. I mean she's just a girl, right?"

"Huh," the Captain said, nodding his head. "That reminds me of my daughter. She had a boyfriend who I hadn't had the privilege of meeting. Unfortunately she broke up with him. Now I'm hearing that this sorry excuse for a man talking about her," he said, his voice growing dark as he glared at Dave.

"Mr. Madison," Dave said, testing out the name slowly. "You're Tracey's dad…"

"Captain Madison," the man said calmly. "Now remind me again why you aren't at kitchen duty, Anderson?"

"Uh right away, sir," Dave said, picking up his feet and hustling away. But not before shooting a glare at the two men left standing there with the Captain.

"That was beautiful, dad," Barry laughed, shaking his head. "I don't think he's ever going to talk again now."

"Let's hope not," Bucky said with a chuckle. "I think he'd go mute at the sight of your dad."

"After the way I heard he treated my little girl, he's luck I don't shoot his feet off," Captain Madison growled, watching as the soldier of topic hustled to where the "kitchen" tent was. He turned to his son. "Tracey wrote?"

"Yeah," the male twin replied, extracting the letter from his pocket and handing it to the older man. "She's doing well, busy with Stark Industries and all."

Captain Madison smiled lightly, eyes scanning across the pages of the letter. "That's my girl." He looked back to the two in front of him and nodded at Bucky. "How are you, son?"

"I'm good, sir," the dark haired man replied. "Could be better without the little encounter with Dave," he said, making a face.

"You're a good kid, James," he said, patting the sergeant on the shoulder. A more serious expression was exchanged from the smile that was on his face. "I hope you two are ready for tomorrow. Tomorrow's when the fight begin."

The two soldiers nodded, their faces growing solemn as they watched their captain walk away. Tomorrow they were going off to fight. The enemy was coming in and their time to fight was now. Just the thought sent their hearts plummeting to the pit of their stomachs. Were they ready?

**Sorry for the late update. I've been really busy and I couldn't get the ideas for this chapter down on paper. But either way, here's chapter 4. I hope you liked it. **

**I would really love to hear your thoughts on this story because I'm still apprehensive about how this is going. Thanks!**


End file.
